Chongqing: A massive landslide triggered by heavy rainfall struck Pengshui County in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality on Friday morning, burying more than 10 residential buildings and prompting a large-scale rescue operation.

According to Chinese state media, rescue teams have so far pulled at least nine people alive from the debris, while search efforts continue for an undetermined number of people believed to be trapped.

Landslide strikes residential area

The landslide occurred at around 9.08 am local time, sending huge volumes of rocks and soil cascading down a mountainside into a residential settlement.

Television footage showed part of the hillside collapsing onto homes, while emergency responders searched through piles of rubble using specialised rescue equipment.

Photographs from the scene showed enormous slabs of rock sliding past multi-storey buildings before crashing into a nearby waterway. Although some buildings remained standing, they sustained visible structural damage.

Massive rescue operation underway

China’s Xinhua News Agency reported that rescue teams deployed more than 50 sets of search-and-rescue and detection equipment to locate survivors trapped beneath the debris.

Authorities have also dispatched emergency response teams and relief personnel to assist residents affected by the disaster.

The exact number of people trapped has not yet been confirmed.

Relief supplies rushed to affected area

Officials have sent more than 8,000 disaster relief items to the affected region, including tents, folding beds and emergency family kits to support displaced residents.

The landslide occurred near the Wujiang River, which flows through the mountainous region known for its rugged karst landscape and scattered rural settlements.

Heavy rains raise landslide risk

Southwestern China frequently experiences landslides during periods of intense rainfall, particularly in mountainous areas where saturated soil and steep slopes increase the risk of ground collapse.

Rescue and relief operations are continuing as authorities assess the extent of the damage and search for anyone still missing beneath the debris.